The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that preparedness is key when dealing with any type of unexpected emergency, and like it or not, another potential emergency situation is looming just around the corner: the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

The 2019 hurricane season produced 18 named storms, including six hurricanes of which three — Dorian, Humberto and Lorenzo — were in the “major” category, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It marked the fourth consecutive above-normal Atlantic season, and top hurricane forecasters from Colorado State University are predicting major activity again in 2020.

With the season’s onset approaching, the Navy is wrapping up HURREX/Citadel Gale 2020, its annual hurricane preparedness/disaster response and recovery exercise, conducted by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Naval Installations Command.

Impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, the usual two-week exercise was condensed to one week as participants dealt with the resulting challenges.

“We were unable to do full scale exercises with Emergency Operations Center activation due to social/physical distancing protocols,” noted Chief Hull Maintenance Technician James Rossetto, Emergency Ops Center manager. “We were forced to do virtual tabletop exercises via Microsoft Teams and Defense Collaboration Sites (DCS). Those of us who were in contact with others were forced to wear face masks and maintain six feet of distance.”

While HURREX/Citadel Gale helps to determine if there are any areas where the region or the installation can improve their ability to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, it is encouraged that personnel take charge of their own advanced preparation and planning.

“It is important that all personnel — Sailors and civilians — keep their personal information current in the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFASS),” Paulsen said. “It’s an essential resource for tracking Navy personnel and family members during crisis or natural disasters. Also, there are different resources available to our Navy families to help them be prepared in the event of a disaster and we recommend they take the time to learn about them before an event occurs.”

Covering COVID-19

JIM NORMANDIN

Dear readers,

As the evolving concern and impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus heightens, all of us at your local newspaper and APG Media of Chesapeake are dedicated to providing the most recent and relevant information to our community.

During these unprecedented times, it is crucial for all people to get local and reliable information from a trusted source.

As we see our role to inform and update our community of the latest news or announcements, effective immediately, all local news, public information and announcements surrounding the coronavirus will be accessible as a public service to all visitors to our websites.

If you have questions or would like to submit information, please submit your questions to us and our news teams will do our best to assist you in providing information.

Each and every day, we are grateful for the work of our associates, the support from our community and the trust our readers and clients bestow in us.